The present Invention relates to a method of producing a tooth prothesis or denture, where a moldable or deformable denture plate is introduced into the mouth of a patient and is subjected to hardening. The present invention also relates to an articulator having an in particular retention member.
The conventional production of total dentures, which can be removed from the mouth of a patient, requires a number of complicated measures in order to ensure a precise fit of the denture. For example, it is necessary to mold the mouth situation and to produce a model, and based upon this situation to produce a positive mold, for example in plaster of Paris, that is utilized for producing the denture. In this connection, a number of special steps are necessary. For example, it is necessary to seal the plaster of Paris and teeth in order to remove the polymerized synthetic material and the teeth, which are made of ceramic material or also of synthetic material, from the plaster of Paris.
A vessel is utilized for the production of the denture, whereby pressures of up to 3 tons are required. Despite the up to now undertaken expense, frequently so-called bite elevations occur; in other words, an elevation of the position of the teeth in the submillimeter range, whereby it is known, for example, from "Dental-Labor" volume 12/95, page 2003 et seq, to use an annular channel in order to reduce the bite elevation to a tolerable level.
Such methods are regularly used at the present time for the basic provision of a total denture. A further known method, the injection method, does not bring about a bite elevation; however it is technically far more complicated and requires a very exact handling by the dental technician, already for the reason of avoiding the formation of bubbles. Due to the expense, this method has found only limited use. Various other methods have been proposed in order to improve the casting and injection methods. For example, it Is know from DE-OS 40 28 728 to use a gel or silicone in order to enable a direct light polymerization of the denture in the casting mold. However, this method results in unsatisfactory dentures, because the gel or silicone is too soft so that deformations easily occur.
A fabricated denture has also been proposed in DE 195 105 50 A1 that is to be lined in a patient-specific manner. However, maintaining prefabricated dentures requires a lot of storage space if a somewhat satisfactory adaptation to specific patient requirements is to be undertaken. If merely a few models are to be prefabricated, correspondingly thick linings or underlays must be provided, which significantly increases the thickness of the denture and is hence unsatisfactory for the wearing comfort of the denture.
It has furthermore also been proposed to use a prefabricated denture base that is introduced in a deformable state into the mouth of the patient where it should be adjusted. For this purpose, a mixture is compacted under high pressure and a temperature of about 150.degree. C. and is then heated to about 60.degree. C. and introduced into the mouth of the patient. There is then effected a preliminary adjustment, and in addition a lining material is applied and a denture plate is again introduced into the patient's mouth. The denture plate is then removed, partially hardened, reintroduced into the mouth of the patient, and finally again removed and finish hardened. Teeth can be mounted either before or after the start or end of the introduction of the denture into the patient's mouth.
With this known method it is therefore necessary to introduce the denture plate at least three times into the patient's mouth, whereby the patient is additionally confronted with various materials. The patient therefore tends to get the impression that touch-ups are necessary, so that the patient acceptance and hence also the acceptance of the treating dentist are unsatisfactory. Despite this complicated procedure, imprecision easily results, whereby in addition the introduction of hot synthetic or polymeric material at nearly 60.degree. C. into the oral cavity is unpleasant.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and articulator of the aforementioned general types where on the one hand a bite elevation is reliably avoided, and on the other hand there is ensured that the patient acceptance is improved, whereby nonetheless the expense relative to conventional manufacturing processes of dentures should be reduced so that the denture can be manufactured in a considerably easier manner.